As a new mama, I've been slowing down more than ever before. I’ve shared before that it's been really triggering for me to see amazing creatives and business owners launching things and ramping up — meanwhile I'm pumping the brakes.

Hard Work = Success...?

Since I started this business journey over 4 years ago, I've hinged its success on showing up consistently with quality content in service of others. Subscribing to the age-old mindset that hard work is the key to success.

So as I slow WAYYY down in this new unknown season, it's scary. And it's not even about the money.

Like just about everyone else in the world, recently I've been tuning into Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix. And besides cringing at how much junk people collect, picking up some new folding tips and wondering how I can incorporate more long skirts into my wardrobe (jk, leggings forever), what really resonates with me is the value of less stuff and more intention.

These days you can integrate every appliance in your house, use your home security system to spy on the delivery man, and tell Alexa to turn down your thermostat from across the room. And yet we have less time than ever. In a world that champions more, bigger, faster, busier, blah.. it's refreshing to see people go the other way. It's the same reason I can't get enough of all those tiny house shows on HGTV.

Less but better. Simple but intentional.

Remember those glorious days of youth when your calendar was a simple thing? The only schedule you had to worry about was your own. Either you were free, or you weren’t.

In the last few years, so many wonderful things have unfolded in my life. My husband and I got married and bought our first home. In 2016 I started my business and we brought home our beloved pup, Hero. This year, we’re expecting our first little one.

So many blessings and things to be thankful for. But also, a lot more to contend with on the calendar.

I can't tell you how many interviews with creatives I've listened to/watched over the years, and somehow the themes of hustle and never being satisfied always seem to rear their ugly heads. Although the word “hustle” is enough to make me gag these days, it's the idea of never being satisfied that puts a seriously bad taste in my mouth.

Granted, most of those creatives were probably referring their positive drive to always continue learning and improving—honing our skills and expanding our horizons. I'm all for that, but the “never satisfied” phrasing is particularly troubling to me.

In this digital age, we're supposedly more connected than ever, and yet I don't think we've ever felt more disconnected. Our world has never ached so much for community, compassion, and belonging. And so every time we lose another soul too soon, it's salt in our already wide open wounds. I wrote about this a bit after the passing of Kate Spade, but I feel called to share more and go deeper.

For the last couple weeks, I've been heads down grinding away at my Illustrator Essentials course (launching July 10th). As you know, I'm a huge advocate of balance in life and business, but even I can acknowledge that there's a time to hustle when things just need to get done. That said, I've found one thing is my saving grace when the deadlines and creative block come calling.

As creative folks and small business owners, we love what we do. As a result, it's hard to separate our work from our life, making it so easy to think that each to-do is make-or-break for our brands and any hiccups are the end of the world. When we're frustrated or blocked creatively, we spend hours banging our heads against a wall and trying to muscle through. But there's a better way.

Last week I had the pleasure of joining Lauren of Elle & Company to chat about the importance of brand guidelines (you can tune into the webinar replay if you missed us live), and had an absolute blast! Anywho, to kick off the conversation Lauren asked me a few questions, the last of which was “what's one thing most people don't know about you?”

My answer for that, friends, was that I absolutely love hot yoga. This is something that people who don't know me personally might not be aware of, but the pursuit of wellness is a big deal in my world. The folks tuning into the webinar mentioned they really liked hearing about my yoga journey, so I thought I'd take some time here to dig in deeper.

I dabbled in yoga a few years back, but didn't seriously commit to my practice until around the time that I started my business. The studio I now belong to in West Chester specializes in Ghosh and Bikram hatha yoga (it's around 100 degrees in these classes), and I cannot get enough! Today I'm actually wrapping up the studio's February challenge of 30 practices in 28 days, and though it's been a huge commitment I'm feeling stronger than ever!

As I reflect on the impact consistently practicing yoga has had on me (beyond physical strength) in the last year, I realize it's taught me aton about myself and balancing my work with life. Today I'm excited to share these insights with you in the hopes they'll bring new perspective to your own journey in life and business.

In a “live to work” world that's relentlessly obsessed with “the hustle” it can be tough to know when it's time to clock out, especially when you're trying to hone your craft and/or build a business. It's a topsy turvy balance act, trying to give work your all while also prioritizing your loved ones and your own needs. Trust me, we're all working on it and no one's got it perfect.

You'll notice on the My Story page of my site that I list balance as one of my core standards. I take this one very seriously, and I'm no stranger to the struggle of work vs. life. Some days I find myself so engrossed by work that I fight to tear myself away for things like quitting time, lunch, or even a break to stretch and let out the pup. But quality time with my loved ones is essential to me, and I know how the business inevitably suffers when I don't take time for myself. So unplug I must.

It can be tough to clock out when the emails are piling up and you can't seem to make time for enough quality social posts amidst your real work (or vice versa). How can you balance your work and life well in today's “always on” world? I know this challenge all too well, but thankfully I've found some tools I've integrated into my work life that make the balance a whole lot easier. Here's hoping they'll do the same for you!